GHOSTING

A Month or so ago, I posted on Linked in an article I had read on "Ghosting" and how many freelancers, including myself were contacting companies, or were being contacted, asked for information, and then never heard from again.

It seems from all of the replies that this is happening to many people in the TV industry - some of whom responded to the post, and others who messaged me privately.

Comments such as this from Dan O'Hagen, a well known football commentator who has worked in the industry for years. ".......the trend of asking for blanket availability months in advance, and then getting little or nothing from it, having kept dates free."

Another from David Smith - "I’ve been spoken to about jobs only to walk past the control gallery and see the programme in making a pilot. I guess thats one way to find out you didn’t get it."

Kate Norton though, hits the nail on the head with her experience. "I was contacted by a recruitment company for freelance VM work, told it was in the bag, regular work, at least 2 shifts a week, great. I checked out the company, all seemed legit, filled in all the paperwork, chased them a couple of times after, they said they still hadn’t heard back from client but couldn’t see a problem, your CV is excellent etc, and then completely ghosted me. Nothing, won’t answer emails, calls. It’s soul destroying. And this isn’t my only experience of this in the last year, it’s cruel."

So with the industry not in the greatest shape at the moment, and freelancers in the main struggling to find enough work, the least recruiters and productions can do, is be honest, and not just disappear when life gets a little awkward. There are some excellent bookers, who really take the time to make sure you know the score, and if they have to cancel you for some reason, will call you, not just send you a quick email. Also, remember those times that freelancer got you out of the **** when you forgot to book someone, or they went sick at the last minute.

Freelancers are too nervous to complain about this - and to be honest it isn't something they should feel they need to do. We just want to be treated fairly and with a little respect - please.